12. Vanderbilt Commodores

Standout Stat: Zero turnovers for Vanderbilt; after struggling with turnovers in 2010 and finishing last season with a -4 turnover ratio, the Commodores held onto the ball in Week 1 of 2011.

Next: Sept. 10 vs. Connecticut

Vanderbilt is happy to get a win in new head coach James Franklin's debut. After being up just 21-14 in the middle of third quarter, the Commodores rallied to score 21 in the fourth quarter and rolled to a 31-point victory over Elon.

The competition was not stiff, but Franklin and the Commodores will take any win they can get as they try to rebuild the program.

6. Florida Gators

This Week's MVP: RB Chris Rainey; the speedy back ran for 79 yards and a score, and also caught six passes for 67 yards and a touchdown.

Standout Stat: 197 rushing yards for Florida; the passing game turned over the ball too many times, but the Florida ground game was more than effective. Rainey and fellow running back Jeff Demps both averaged more than seven yards per carry.

Next: Sept. 10 vs. UAB

Will Muschamp won in his debut as the Florida head coach, and it was impressive on both sides of the ball. FAU is not a good football team, but the execution of the game plan was solid for Florida.

The Gators may be ranked too low here and could rocket up the list with wins against more quality opponents down the line.

5. Mississippi State Bulldogs

This Week's MVP: RB Vick Ballard; one of the more underrated players in the nation, Ballard ran for 166 yards and three touchdowns on just 10 carries.

Standout Stat: 645 offensive yards for Mississippi State; the Bulldogs lit up the scoreboard and stat book on Thursday. They ended the game with 336 yards passing and 309 yards rushing for a nice offensive balance.

Next: Sept. 10 at Auburn

The Bulldogs steamrolled Memphis Thursday night and got their season off to a hot start. The offense looked dynamic and balanced as Mississippi State began their 2011 campaign. The defense was a little more porous than expected, but did only give up 14 points.

3. South Carolina Gamecocks

This Week's MVP: RB Marcus Lattimore; the star sophomore running back ended up with 112 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He also reeled in three passes for 33 yards.

Standout Stat: 220 rushing yards for South Carolina; the Gamecocks racked up big run plays from Lattimore and quarterback Stephen Garcia, who ended up with 56 yards on the ground.

Next: Sept. 10 at Georgia

South Carolina came out of the gate a little sluggish, but rebounded and ultimately crushed East Carolina.

Much-maligned quarterback Stephen Garcia came in as the backup when Carolina was losing 17-0 and seemingly turned the game around. The offense began to click, and the Gamecocks went on to score an impressive 56 points.

The only concern is the defense, and the 37 points it surrendered in the game. When all is said and done though, it was a good win to start the season against a decent East Carolina squad.

2. Alabama Crimson Tide

Greg McWilliams/Getty Images

Score: Alabama 48, Kent State 7

Record: 1-0 (0-0)

This Week's MVP: WR Marquis Maze (the junior wide receiver hauled in eight passes for 118 yards and a touchdown)

Standout Stat: 5 rushing touchdowns for Alabama (Trent Richardson lead the Tide with 3 rushing touchdowns on Saturday and Alabama had two others find the end zone running the ball behind a talented offensive line. This group will be hard to stop near the goal line.)

Next: Sept. 10th at Penn State

Alabama could easily be listed first in this ranking, but a Kent State victory doesn't compare well with a win over Oregon (which LSU accomplished on Saturday).

So for now, Alabama will be quite content with a 1-0 record, and a team that looks elite on defense and in the running game. The Tide must cut down on turnovers (they had five against Kent State), but otherwise looks the part of a championship contender.

1. LSU Tigers

This Week's MVP: RB Michael Ford; the sophomore running back had a huge performance in this big game, gaining 96 rushing yards and scoring two touchdowns on just 14 carries.

Standout Stat: 95 rushing yards for Oregon; LSU held the Ducks' running game, including Heisman hopeful LaMichael James, to just 96 yards rushing for the game.

Next: Sept. 10 vs. Northwestern State

The LSU Tigers, even with all the off-the-field distractions (including losing starting quarterback Jordan Jefferson and star wide receiver Russell Sheppard to separate suspensions), were able to beat a highly-ranked Oregon team in Arlington Saturday.

The offense, especially the running game, was impressive, and the defense looks nasty. This could be a hard team to beat in 2011.